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News Releases 2009

Minister Shea Meets with Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters

Sunday, 07 February 2010 15:15 administrator
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anuary 26, 2010

BURLINGTON, ONTARIO – The Honourable Gail Shea, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, met with the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH) on Monday, January 25, 2010 in Burlington, Ontario.

Discussion at the meeting touched on the Lake Ontario Atlantic Salmon Restoration project, aquatic invasive species prevention and control and the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between Canada and the United States.  The meeting also included consultation on Phase II of Canada’s Economic Action Plan.

This meeting provided a great opportunity for meaningful discussion and action between Fisheries and Oceans Canada and OFAH with respect to fish and fish habitat conservation, protection and restoration.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada considers OFAH an important stakeholder and partner with whom we currently work together on many initiatives relating to fish and fish habitat in Ontario.


For more information:

Alain Belle-Isle
Media Relations
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Ottawa
613-993-5413

Nancy Bishay
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
613-992-3474

 

DFO’s Commitment to the Conservation and Sustainability of West Coast Salmon

Sunday, 07 February 2010 15:06 administrator
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September 7, 2009

The lower than expected returns in certain West Coast salmon runs have generated significant interest and concern in the Department and among all Canadians. Questions have been raised about DFO’s commitment to funding research and sustainable fisheries, particularly the Fraser River sockeye.

The Department’s first priority is the conservation and long-term sustainability of sockeye in managing the fishery. Accordingly, the Department has annually invested significant funds to carry out vital scientific research and monitoring.

2002-2009 Annual Expenditures for West Coast Salmon Research

  • 2002-2003 $17.9M
  • 2003-2004 $16.8M
  • 2004-2005 $16.3M
  • 2005-2006 $16.1M
  • 2006-2007 $16.5M
  • 2007-2008 $15.9M
  • 2008-2009 $17.0M

This 7-year period reflects a sustained and consistent level of federal funding, and was preceded by a significant, five-year federal aid program the Department introduced in 1998 to aid fisheries on both the West and East Coasts. The Canadian Fisheries Adjustment and Restructuring (CFAR) program was established to restore the health of Canada's Pacific salmon fisheries through a $400 million investment for the West Coast.

The '02-'09 figures do not include associated Coast Guard costs incurred by vessels supporting science and monitoring activities . Internal organizational changes to the Department make year-on-year comparisons for years prior to 2002 not comparable.
DFO continues to monitor the situation closely and will work with the Pacific Salmon Commission and the Fraser River Panel to support the conservation and sustainable use of this resource.

For more information on the five-year CFAR program, please see: Building First Nations Capacity with Habitat Conservation and Stewardship Program (PDF version, 148 Kb)

 

B.C. Sockeye Salmon Migration Touches Record Low as Waters Warm

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By Christopher Donville

Aug. 13 (Bloomberg) -- The sockeye-salmon migration to British Columbia’s Fraser River has collapsed to a record low for the second summer in three, raising concern among native Indians that the species’ survival may be threatened.

As many as 9.4 million fish expected to migrate from the Pacific Ocean may have disappeared, prompting Canadian officials to ban commercial and sport fishing of Fraser sockeye.

“I’ve fished the river all my life, and I’ve never seen anything like this,” Ernie Crey, 60, an adviser to the Sto:lo native Indians, who live along the Fraser and rely on the sockeye for food, said today in a telephone interview.

An estimated 1.2 million to 1.5 million sockeye may return to the river this year, Jeff Grout, a Vancouver-based salmon resource manager with Canada’s department of fisheries and oceans, said today in a telephone interview.

That compares with a forecast of 6 million to 10.6 million, Grout said. The entire Fraser sockeye run was an estimated 1.7 million last year and reached a previous record low of 1.4 million in 2007, he said.

While the cause of the collapse isn’t known, a variety of factors such as rising ocean and river temperatures may help explain the potential losses, Grout said.

“Warm water can affect things like food availability for the fish,” Grout said. “Sockeye are plankton feeders, and plankton of the west coast of B.C. tend to thrive when conditions are cold.”

Crey said he and elders of the Sto:lo tribes are concerned that the Fraser sockeye’s decline may be irreversible. He’s urging British Columbia’s native leaders to press for an international summit on the health of the fishery.

‘Sockeye Can’t Cope’

“The sockeye can’t cope with the changing environment,” Crey said. “The hardiest sockeye are not returning to spawn.”

On Aug. 10, the Fraser River temperature was 18.8 degrees Celsius (65.8 degrees Fahrenheit) at Qualark Creek, B.C., 1.1 degrees higher than the average for that date, the Pacific Salmon Commission said in an Aug. 11 statement on its Web site.

“Water temperatures in this range may stress migrating sockeye and slow their upstream migration,” according to the commission, which is a joint Canada-U.S. body that manages salmon resources.

It’s too soon to say what effect sea lice that flourish near fish farms may have had on the Fraser sockeye, Grout said.

The parasites are known to latch onto young wild salmon heading into the sea and are suspected as a factor in the decline of other wild-salmon populations along the coast.

Sea Lice

Producers of farmed salmon say allegations that sea lice from their operations are responsible for declining wild salmon stocks are unfounded.

“The plight of the Fraser River sockeye parallels Pacific salmon returns along the entire west coast of North America,” BC Salmon Farmers Association said in a statement on its Web site. Farm operators “share these concerns, but disagree with those who conclude that salmon farming is responsible for these declines.”

Most sockeye spend their first year in fresh water and are strong enough to survive lice infestation by the time they pass coastal fish farms, the association said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Christopher Donville in Vancouver at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

 

Recreational Management Actions

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Further to FN0386, the best estimate of the Chinook return to the Fraser River

based on the Albion test fishery is 61,000 spring and summer Fraser Chinook

through June 8, 2009.

Based on this information, Subareas 29-11 to 29-17 (the tidal waters of the

Fraser River) will open to the retention of Chinook salmon at 00:01 hrs on June

16 and until 23:59 hrs Monday August 31. The daily limit is four (4) Chinook

salmon, hatchery or wild, with only one being greater than 50 cm.

 

The non-tidal waters of the Fraser River in Region 2 will open to the retention

of Chinook salmon at daylight on June 16 and until 23:59 hrs Monday August 31.

The daily limit is four (4) Chinook salmon, hatchery or wild, with only one

being greater than 50 cm.

 

Please note that when fishing for salmon in the tidal portion of the Fraser

River only one line per angler is permitted and only a single barbless hook. A

single barbless hook is a barbless hook with only one point. A treble hook is

not considered to be a single hook. Please refer to the 2009-2011 British

Columbia Tidal Waters Sport Fishing Guide, page 19 or our website:

http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/SFG-GPS-eng.htm for more information.

 

Notes:

Barbless hooks are required when fishing for salmon in tidal and non-tidal

waters of British Columbia. This includes all species of fish in the Fraser

River.

 

Anglers are requested to release any hatchery marked sockeye. These fish are

hatchery raised sockeye and part of a recovery program designed to increase the

numbers of Cultus Lake sockeye.

 

The term "hatchery marked" means a fish that has a healed scar in place of the

adipose fin.

 

Sport anglers are encouraged to participate in the voluntary Salmon Sport Head

Recovery program by labelling and submitting heads from adipose fin-clipped

chinook and coho salmon. Recovery of coded-wire tags provides critical

information for coast-wide stock assessment. Contact the Salmon Sport Head

Recovery Program at (866) 483-9994 for further information.

 

Rockfish Conservation Areas that are currently in effect are closed to all fin

fishing. Descriptions of these closures, and other recreational fishing

information, can be found on the internet at:

www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/recfish

Did you witness suspicious fishing activity or a violation? If so, please call

the Fisheries and Ocean Canada 24-hour toll free Observe, Record, Report line

at (800) 465-4336.

For the 24 hour recorded opening and closure line, call toll free at (866) 431-

FISH.

 

Variation Order No. 2009-234 and 2009-235 dated June 9, 2009.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Contact the local DFO office in your area for further information.

 

 

Fisheries & Oceans Operations Center - FN0407
Sent June 10, 2009 at 1447

 

Source: http://www-ops2.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/xnet/content/fns/index.cfm?pg=view_notice⟨=en&DOC_ID=117677&ID=recreational

 

 

Fraser Chinook Management Actions

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Further to FN0369, the potential for low spawning escapements of spring and

summer Fraser Chinook has been identified as a concern for 2009. To ensure

fishery management objectives are achieved, the Department will be using the

test fishery catches from the Albion test fishery to determine the predicted

return to the Fraser River. The best estimate of the Chinook return to the

Fraser River based on the Albion test fishery is 66,000 spring and summer

Fraser Chinook through May 31, 2009. At this return, no additional

recreational fishery measures to reduce harvest impacts on these stocks are

planned.

 

The additional management measures to reduce harvest impacts on Early Timed

Fraser River Chinook stocks currently in effect in Area 29 (Subareas 29-6, 29-

7, 29-9 and 29-10) off the mouth of the Fraser River have been removed as

planned.

 

Effective immediately and until 23:59 hrs Thursday December 31, the daily limit

is two (2) Chinook salmon per day, hatchery or wild, both which must be greater

than 62 cm.

 

The next in-season prediction of the return to the Fraser will be provided on

June 8th. A notice will be released at that time outlining management measures

that will be in place for the Fraser River (see FN0370 for Subareas 29-11 to 29-

17 Tidal waters of the Fraser River and Region 2 Non-tidal waters of the Fraser

River).

 

 

Notes:

 

Barbless hooks are required when fishing for salmon in tidal and non-tidal

waters of British Columbia. This includes all species of fish in the Fraser

River.

 

Anglers are requested to release any hatchery marked sockeye. These fish are

hatchery raised sockeye and part of a recovery program designed to increase the

numbers of Cultus Lake sockeye.

 

The term "hatchery marked" means a fish that has a healed scar in place of the

adipose fin.

 

Sport anglers are encouraged to participate in the voluntary Salmon Sport Head

Recovery program by labelling and submitting heads from adipose fin-clipped

chinook and coho salmon. Recovery of coded-wire tags provides critical

information for coast-wide stock assessment. Contact the Salmon Sport Head

Recovery Program at (866) 483-9994 for further information.

 

Rockfish Conservation Areas that are currently in effect are closed to all fin

fishing. Descriptions of these closures, and other recreational fishing

information, can be found on the internet at:

 

www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/recfish

 

Did you witness suspicious fishing activity or a violation? If so, please call

the Fisheries and Oceans Canada 24-hour toll free Observe, Record, Report line

at (800) 465-4336.

 

For the 24 hour recorded opening and closure line, call toll free at (866) 431-

FISH.

 

Variation Order No. 2009-208 dated June 1, 2009.

 

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Contact the local DFO office in your area for further information.

 

 

Fisheries & Oceans Operations Center - FN0386
Sent June 2, 2009 at 0951

 

Source: http://www-ops2.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/xnet/content/fns/index.cfm?pg=view_notice&lang=en&DOC_ID=117473&ID=recreational

 

 
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